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Open Access
American millstones similar to the French burr: 19th century attempts to find substitutes
(Universitat de Lleida. Departament d'Història. Secció d'Arqueologia, Prehistòria i Història Antiga, 2019) Hockensmith, Charles D.
During the early to mid 19th century, attempts were made in the United States to locate local sources of stone that were comparable in texture or appearance to that of the well known French burr millstone. These searches were primarily motivated by economic reasons. The early literature mentions local stone sources in several states that was described as similar in appearance or quality to the French burr. This paper compiles information on local millstones comparable to the French burr in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Most of these ventures had limited success on the local level. However, in Georgia, Ohio, and Kentucky the millstones were manufactured in larger quantities and distributed over larger geographical areas. Despite the effort expended in these pursuits, these local millstones proved inferior to the French burr which retained its high status among American millers.